§ Mr. Wheelerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average waiting time before the publication of Acts of Parliament after Royal Assent by Her Majesty's Stationery Office; how is the quantity to be published judged; and, when reprinting is required, how long a time elapses before the publication is available to the public.
§ Mr. BrookeIn 1985 waiting time averaged nine working days. The HMSO decision on the number of copies to be published is based on their experience of sales of similar legislation and of sales of the Bills leading up to the Act. Where demand is outstripping current stocks HMSO aims to obtain reprints before stocks are exhausted so that the Act remains available to the public.